Epigraph

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” – United States Declaration of Independence

Thomas Jefferson replaced the word “property” with “pursuit of happiness” in the Declaration of Independence, … While influenced by [English philosopher] John Locke’s “life, liberty, and property,” Jefferson’s substitution made the right to happiness an unalienable right accessible to all citizens, not just those who owned land. – Google AI Summary

Aspiration … inclusiveness …

Is the pursuit of happiness the pursuit of ease? As in living well and doing well? Modernity projects a vibe of comfort and convenience, a removal of friction. While this begs the issue of the haves and have-nots – or those with and without property, the drift is promoted for all. (As if to turn us all into Hobbits, eh.) But that’s a relatively recent historical disposition, not what our biology depended on for survival over eons.